Door-closer.



A'. H. STUTLER.

DOOR CLOSER.

APPLICATION YILED SEPT. zo, 1910.

1,014,266. Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

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ABRAHAM H. STUTLER, 0F WEST UNION, WEST VIRGINIA.

DOOR-CLOSER.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Application led September 20, 1910. Serial No. 582,952.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM H.- STUT- LER, citizen of the United States, residing at West Union, in the county of Doddridge and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Closers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to devices for automatically closing doors and the primary object of the invention is to provide a very simple and effective device for this purpose adapted to be placed on any door, and so arranged that the tension on the door may be easily and quickly adjusted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is adapted to be attached to the inside of the door frame in such position that the screws whereby it is fastened will not mar the door frame as they would if they were placed upon the outside face ofthe frame.

My invention is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a door frame and the door thereon with my closing device attached thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation partly in section of my closing device; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of Fig. 2, the winding drum being partly broken; and, Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section of the winding shaft and drum.

Throughout the figures like reference characters denote like parts.

In the drawings 2 designates a base plate having the form of an elongated strip, this base plate at its ends being provided with spacing strips 3 whereby the middle portion of the base plate is held out of contact with the face of the door frame A, on which it is supported. Extending from the base plate are the tubular supporting posts 4 which are internally screw threaded at their ends. Supported upon the ends of the posts 4 is the longitudinally extending frame plate 5 which is held to the posts 4 and in parallel relation to the base plate 2 by means of the screws 5a, which engage the ends of the posts 4.

Rotatably mounted in the plates 2 and 5 is the arbor 6. Loosely mounted upon the arbor 6 is the casing 7 which is closed at one end by a cap 8, said cap being provided with a toothed periphery. Mounted within the casing 7 and attached at one end to the arbor 6, and at its outer end to the casing screws 13. The sleeve 12 and the shaft 10 are provided ,with alining openings 14 through which the inner end of a cord 15 passes, this cord being knotted at its extremity, and thus held in engagement with the winding shaft and the sleeve. The extremity of the cord 15 is provided with a hook 16 adapted to be engaged with an eye 17 on the door B. Projecting from one of the posts 4 is an arm 18 which constitutes a stop with which the hook 16 engages when the hook is not engaged with the eye 17 on the door.

In order to provide means whereby the tension spring 9 may be adjusted I provide a winged head on the arbor 6 whereby the arbor may be rotated and also provide a spring operated pawl to prevent any unwinding movement of the arbor. To this end the arbor 6, exteriorly of the frame plate 5 is provided with a ratchet 19 with which the pawl 2() engages, said pawl being pivoted to the plate 5 and having outwardly extending fingers 21, whereby the pawl may `be easily lifted when it is desired to permit the spring to run out. A spring 22 attached in any suitable manner to the plate 5 engages the pawl and forces its active end into engagement with the ratchet wheel 19. It will be seen that by rot-ating the winged head 23 in one direction, that the spring 9 will be wound up, and that the spring will be held at any desired tension by the pawl 20. When it is desired to relieve the tension of the spring 9 it is only necessary to raise the pawl from its engagement with the ratchet wheel 19 and lower the spring to slacken.

As a means for attaching the base plate 2 to a door frame I have provided the screws 24. These have elongated shafts each provided at one end with a head 27 and at the other end with the screw threaded portion 26, a collar or enlargement 25 being formed upon the shaft 16 in conjunction with the screw threaded portion 26. It will be seen support vthe heads 27 in such position that they may be readily turned without the use "of a'screw driver or like implement, thus permitting the device to be readily attached to or detached from the door frame.

The operation of my mechanism will be obvious. It isonly necessary to attach the cord 15 to the eye 17 whereupon the device isplaced in operation. As the door opens the spring 9 will be'wo-und up and when the door is released the spring will cause the case 7 to rotate, thus rotating the drum'll and winding up the cord l5 thereon, thus closing the door. The tension of the spring may be easily and quickly adjusted to any degree required and the cord l5 may be easily detached from the door when it is not desired to use my device thereon.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: j

A door closer comprising in combination a base plate, posts projecting from the base plate, a frame plate opposed to the base plate and mounted on the ends of the posts and'eXtending parallel to the base plate, a gear wheel disposedv between said plates, a spring acting to rotate said gear wheel in Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor one direction, a spring-winding arbor upon which the spring and gear wheel are rotatably mounted, said arbo-r being mounted in said plates and having a winding head disposed eXteriorly to the frame plate whereby the arbor may be rotated, a ratchet wheel on the arbor, a spring-actuated pawl mounted on the outer face of the frame plate, the active end of said pawl engaging the ratchet wheel, the other end ofthe pawl being eX-` tended to form a finger whereby the pawl may be moved out of engagement 'with the ratchet, a shaft extending parallel to the arbor, a winding drum fast on the shaft, a

-pinion fast on the shaft engaging the vgear plate, said shafts being provided each with a winged head projecting beyond the outer face of the frame plate.

' In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. ABRAHAM H. SFIU'ILECR.

Witnesses: J. P. Sui/mums,- J. M. HICKMAN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

